ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 10, 2025.
Keith Rankin Essay – Rational Expectations, Intelligence, and War
Essay by Keith Rankin. ‘Rational Expectations’ is a problematic theory in economics. Here I want to focus more away from economics; and more on the meanings of ‘rationality’ in decision-making, than on the problematic ambiguity of the word ‘expect’ (and its derivatives such as ‘expectations’). ‘Expectation’ here means what we believe ‘will’ happen, not ‘should’
Location-sharing apps are enabling domestic violence. But young people aren’t aware of the danger
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Atienzar-Prieto, PhD Candidate, School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University The Conversation/Snapchat Location-sharing apps are shaping how we connect and communicate – especially among younger people. Snap Map, a popular feature within Snapchat, is widely used by teens and young adults to stay in
Tools like Apple’s photo Clean Up are yet another nail in the coffin for being able to trust our eyes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Apple Clean Up highlights photo elements that might be deemed distracting. T.J. Thomson You may have seen ads by Apple promoting its new Clean Up feature that can be used to remove elements in a
Current major party policies fall short for Indigenous communities. Here’s a better path forward
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bartholomew Stanford, Senior Lecturer of Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Education and Research Centre, James Cook University Since the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, the Indigenous Affairs portfolio has not featured prominently in policy debates at the national level. As the election campaign continues, there’s yet to be
Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University William Edge/Shutterstock There are an estimated 1 billion domesticated dogs in the world. Most are owned animals – pets, companions or working animals who share their lives with humans. They are the most common large predator in the world.
Labor made plenty of promises at the last election. Did they deliver?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio, PhD Candidate, Social and Political Sciences, Monash University Election promises are a mainstay of contemporary politics. Governments cite kept commitments as proof they can be trusted, while oppositions pounce on any failure to deliver. But beyond the politics, campaign pledges are also central to
Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University The federal election should be an earnest contest over the fundamentals of Australia’s climate and energy policies. Strong global action on climate change is clearly
1 in 10 tunnel workers could develop silicosis, our new research shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cole, Occupational Hygienist, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney Around 10% of underground tunnel workers in Queensland could develop silicosis, our new study has found. Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling small particles of silica dust. You might have heard about it in
Here’s how a ‘silent’ tax hike is balancing the budget – with the heaviest burden on the lowest paid
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University With just over three weeks to go until the federal election, both major parties are trying to position themselves as Australia’s better economic managers. Labor was able to hand down two consecutive budget surpluses in its current term.
Our ancestors didn’t eat 3 meals a day. So why do we?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Culinary Arts & Gastronomy, Auckland University of Technology Shutterstock Pop quiz: name the world’s most famous trio? If you’re a foodie, then your answer might have been breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s an almost universally accepted trinity – particularly in the Western
Tripped at the first hurdle: fees-free changes could put some students off tertiary study altogether
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Ann Alabaster, PhD candidate, University of Canterbury skynesher/Getty Images The door to tertiary education will likely close for some students now changes have kicked in for the fees-free policy. In 2017, the Labour government introduced a fee holiday for students’ first year of academic study, or
Europe tops global ranking of dynamic and sustainable cities – here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascual Berrone, Head of Strategic Management Department and Chair of Sustainability and Business Strategy, IESE Business School (Universidad de Navarra) London, New York and Paris have been named the world’s most dynamic and liveable cities. This is according to a new ranking of global cities that highlights
Election Diary: Chalmers and Taylor quizzed on personal flaws during animated treasurers’ debate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Perhaps the most compelling moment, at least for non-economists, in Wednesday night’s debate between Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his “shadow” Angus Taylor was when each man was forced to respond to what critics see as their personal flaws. Moderator Ross
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Hugh White on what the next PM should tell Trump and defending Australia – without the US
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Trump ascendancy has forced international economic issues and the future strategic outlook onto the Australian election agenda, even if they are at the margins. This campaign – while dominated by domestic issues, notably the cost of living – is
The Coalition’s domestic gas plan would lower prices – just not very much
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University A LNG carrier departs Gladstone. Ivan Kuzkin/Shutterstock It surprised many Australians when the Coalition announced a plan straight from the progressive side of politics: force large gas companies to reserve gas for domestic use – at a lower cost
Can you spot a financial fake? How AI is raising our risks of billing fraud
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Grosse, Director of the Master of Business Analytics, Senior Lecturer, Accounting, University of Technology Sydney Along with the many benefits of artificial intelligence – from providing real time navigation to early disease detection – the explosion in its use has increased opportunities for fraud and deception.
Running for parliament is still a man’s world, with fewer female candidates – especially in winnable seats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Australian National University Despite progress towards gender equality in Australian elections, women remain underrepresented among candidates vying for office on May 3. They are also overrepresented in “glass cliff” seats, which are the ones that are difficult to
Adam Bandt says the Greens can deliver ‘real change’ – but the party should choose its battles more wisely
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Federal Greens leader Adam Bandt says the federal election offers “an opportunity for real change”, saying his party would use the balance of power in the next parliament to help deliver serious policy reforms. In
Don’t let embarrassment stop you – talking about these anal cancer symptoms could save your life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Mahady, Gastroenterologist & Clinical Epidemiologist, Senior Lecturer, Monash University sarkao/Shutterstock Anal cancer doesn’t get a lot of attention. This may be because it’s relatively rare – anal cancer affects an estimated one to two Australians in every 100,000. As a comparison, melanomas affect around 70 in
Gold rush Melbourne and post-war boom: how Australia overcame housing shortages in the past
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Stevens, Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University As part of their federal election campaign, the Coalition announced plans to limit the number of international students able to commence study each year to 240,000, “focused on driving […] housing availability and affordability”. This
